Anthony Edwards scores the go-ahead basket as Timberwolves lead Nuggets 119-116 in a thriller

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards hit a 7-foot floater with 25.7 seconds left and Rudy Gobert made two free throws for the game’s lead Minnesota Timberwolves past the Denver Nuggets 119-116 on Friday night.

Edwards scored 29 points, Gobert had 17 points and 14 rebounds and Julius Randle added 23 points and seven assists for the Timberwolves, who rebounded from a 25-3 run by the Nuggets in the fourth quarter.

Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds and hit two free throws with 2:30 left to give Denver a 116-109 lead before Minnesota fought back. Jokic had a chance to tie the game at 119, but Gobert forced an errant corner 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds left.

Gordon led the Nuggets with 31 points and 11 rebounds in a rematch last season Western Conference semifinals.

Michael Porter Jr. added 26 points for the Nuggets, who lost point guard Jamal Murray to a concussion in the third quarter after a collision with Randle.

Takeaways

Nuggets: Taking some of the pressure off of three-time NBA MVP Jokic will be key to keeping the championship window open, and Gordon and Porter have done their part. But the lack of depth is a concern. Their bench was outscored 31-13.

Timberwolves: After leading the league in defense last season, there have been some leaks, especially in transition. The Nuggets had 22 fast break points.

Key moment

With 5:14 minutes left, Braun threw the 7-foot-tall Gobert over the ball and got even closer with a taunting scream that sent Gobert into a frenzy grabbed Braun by the neck. The benches were cleared, shouts were exchanged and both players received a technical error.

Key statistics

Gordon scored the Nuggets’ second-highest points total in more than four seasons. He shot 11 for 18.

Next

The Nuggets host Utah on Saturday. while the Timberwolves play in San Antonio on the same day.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA